Poured into teku; black in the glass with a big creamy tan head that sticks around, slowly creeping down and leaving dense, fine lacing as it does.
Smells of lots of hops, bitter earthy and fruity, as well as dark roasted malt, bit of soft grain, chocolate and coffee.
Taste is a perfect dichotomy; it's like an imperial IPA and a robust porter are fighting it out in my mouth. Hop flavors strike first, with earthy bitterness mingling among fruit and citrus rind. Then the dark malts come in, with coffee and dark bitter chocolate balancing the hops perfectly. Aftertaste is sticky hop bitterness with hints of dark malt left over.
Mouthfeel is well-carbonated, medium-bodied.
Overall, another of Stone's boastful beers lives up to its name; a beer this good certainly deserves a good deal of self-righteousness. This is the perfect black IPA/cascadian dark ale/hopped black ale/etc. as I imagine the style in its purest form.

Enjoyed on tap at HI-DIVE Lounge in Kansas City. Poured into a standard tumbler glass.

Appearance - Body is pitch black with no light coming through. Atop it sits a healthy one-finger head the color of cocoa powder comprised of mostly medium-sized bubbles that lend a slightly soapy look to the foam. Retention is excellent, and the foam is still there when I take my first drink. Lacing is ample, leaving ringed sheets of bubbles down the side of the glass as I drink.

Smell - I love the fact that this one smells equal parts roasty chocolate and resinous, piney hops. There is also an element of citrus, but it's less prevalent alongside the more pronounced roasted characteristics. I also get hints of grass and generic herbs.

Taste - Similar to the aroma, the taste is a wonderful balance of two distinct flavors: roasty and hoppy. Semisweet chocolate and fresh-ground espresso are both present alongside lemon and orange zest. Slightly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel - Moderate carbonation and a body on the heavy side of medium lends for a chewy, but still somewhat juicy mouthfeel.

Overall, this is a stellar "black IPA". One of my favorites in the style if not THE favorite. Really does an excellent job of creating a balanced, meaty, refreshing beer that has the best of both worlds that are quintessential to a black IPA. Also does an exceptional job of concealing the almost-9% ABV.